Phonograph-record-molding apparatus.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:roNAS W. Avnswon'rri, 'or EAsT ORANGE, AND EDWARD L. AIKEN, oF oRANGE, NEW

JERSEY, ASsIGNoES, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro THOMAS A. EDIsoN, rNooRf.

POBATED, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PHONOGRAPH-RECORD-MOLDIN G APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Iatent. i

Patented Oct. 22,1912.

woR'rH, a citizen of the United States, and

e residing at East Oran e, Essex county, New

Jersey, and EDWARD AIKEN, a citizen of lthe United States, and residing at Orange,

Essex county, New Jersey, have made a certain new and useful invention in Improvements in Phonograph-Record-Molding Apparatus, of which the following is a description.

Our invention relates to means for molding sound records by centrifugal'aetion, and.

the object of our invention is to provide improved and eilicient means for this purose. p In its preferred form, our invention embodies apparatus in which cylindrical sound records are rotated at high speeds about a vertical axis during the `formation of the record. Y

Other objects of the invention consist in the provision of Vmeans for cooling the record during its formation and the mold in Awhich the same is formed by the circulation of the atmosphere or any desired gas of sufficiently low temperature past the mold and through the same during the rotation thereof, whereby the diffusion of' heat from the hot mold and record composition Will be greatly hastened.

In pursuance of these objects, in the prefer-red embodiment of our invention, We mount a centrifugal fan or equivalent device on therotating vspindle adjacent to one end of the mold and by this means draw the air through the bore of the mold and also longitudinall of the mold on the Iouter side thereof, suita le means for guiding and leading in the air being provided. Or, in another embodiment of our invention, the air for cooling the record during its forniation and the interior of the mold, is drawn into the same and expelled therefrom by the provision of suitably shaped and positioned conduits, and by taking advantage of the rotary motion of the mold Without-.the use of a fan or other external means.

Another object of our lnvention .1s the equipment of a rotatable support for a record mold With individual driving means therefor.

. Various of the objects enumerated above, it should be noted, may be carried out in an apparatus rotating about a horizontal axis, although We consider the rotation about the vertical axis superior to the horizontal rotation, Where high speeds are necessary.

Other objects of 'our invention reside in the construction of parts and combinations of the same' as described in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. l

Attention is hereby directed to the aceompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which like parts are donated by corresponding reference characters throughout, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of one form of apparatus embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a lan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a. View simi ar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of our invention, and Fig. 4 is a partial top plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, the vertical spindle 1, shown in Fig. l, is formed at its upper end with the horizontaly support 2, upon which the mold 3 is adapted to be set. The support 2 has formed integral therewiththe hollow cylinder 4 of the same height as the mold 3, and within which the mold is placed, an annular space then separat-ing the mold from the surrounding cylinder 4.. The cylinder4 is screw'threadecl at its upper pe riphery and the cap l5 is adapted to be threaded thereon after the mold 3 has been placed in position, thecap securely fastening all the parts enumerated together. The spindle 1 may have a step bearing 6 at its lower end, and also is represented in the drawing as being supported by hearing surfaces at. 7 and 8 of the frame 9, which is secured to the stationary member 10. The spindle l may be rotated by any convenient means, but we prefer to use the prime mover This fan is designed to draw air in at its vmaterial inserted 12. Itis obvious that an electric motor or other convenient means could be used in the place'of the turbine shown.' The centrifugal fan 13 is mountedupon the spindle 1 just below the horizontal sup-l port 2 at the upper end 'of the spindle 1, the Ian being suitably secured to the said spindle as by means of the pin 13', t-he fan resting upon the upper surface ofbearing 7.

center and throw the same out radially at its periphery, a detlecting plate 14 being provided above the fan and supported by members 15 mounted on the support 10, so that air drawn into the fan 13 can only be expelled at the periphery thereof. As a result of this construction, when the and fan are in rotation, a continuously moving sleeve of air will be drawn in at the upper end of the annular space between the mold 3 and the cylinder 4, the air' passing into the fan as indicated by'the arrows and expelled at the periphery thereof. The cap 5 is provided with perforations 16 leading into the annular chamber described for the entrance of air into the same.

Circulation of air through the bore of the mold, whereby diffusion of heat from the molten. or hot material forming the record 17 on the record surface of the matrix 3 is hastened, is provided for in the embodiment of our invention shown in F 1 and spindle .2 by the employment of openings 1.8 in the 'cap 5 for the entrance of the air -formation of passages 19 extending through and by the the support 2, and leading into the central. portion of the fan 13 for the withdrawal of the air from the bore of the matrix. LThe entrance members 18 of any desired number are so formed that the. rotation of the mold causes air to rush into the same. Accordingly, the 'mouths of the conduits 18 are directed horizontally approximately at right angles to the direction of movement of the mold, the mouths of the conduits 18 also preferably being bell-shaped.. A central orifice 20 in the cap 5 is provided for the insertion of the record material, a baflie plate 21 being provided on the upper surface of the support 2 to prevent the record falling into the passages 19 .through which the air drawn within the bore'of the mold through conduits S is drawn out ot' the same into the fan 13.'

' through orifice 20 forms the record 17 on cylinder of uniform thickness,.as indicated.

Gravity'will be overcome by the centrifugal action if the rat@ of rotation of the vertical through the opening' 20v The material insertel spindle is sufficiently great, thisrate varyc5 lng with the diameter of the mol -In ythe device shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the vertical spindle 1 is provided with anaxial passageway extending partway through the same, as shown at 22. In this case, the 7.0

spindle 1 extendsup through the mold 3, which may be mounted on the support 2 in the same manner as in the iigures already described, the cap 5.. in this case being' placed in position on the hollow and resting upon the upper .surface of the mold 3, the upper periphery of the spindle 1 being threaded and the nut 23 screwed thereon to securely fasten together the mold,

cap and support. The nut 23 is hollow and 80 the record material `may be inserted into the mold through the same. Preferably, the hollow spindle'l is providedwith radial openings 24 leading from thebore thereof into the interior of the mold, these' openings 85 24 being in the upper portion of the bore of the hollow spindle and the horizontal partition 25 being' provided immediately below the same to divide the bore of the spindle into an upper material dropped into the upper end of the' bore of the spindle, and is thrown outwardly l by centrifugalA force through openings 24 into the matrix.

upon the support 2 and 95 the material falling upon the vrecord surface of the matrix 3, and formingy the record 17 lon the record surface of the matrix under centrifugal act-ion, as

explained in connection with the first two y The fan 13is 100 figures' of" the drawings. mounted o-n the spindle 1v in this form of our 'invention in the samemanner as in the form already described, but the surround.- ing cylinder 4 concentric with the mold 3 is, in this case, mounted upon the stationary 105 plate 14, instead of lbeing rotatable with the spindle, the invention. The circulation of air for cooling the outside of the matrix 3, in this case is the same as rstspecies. The cooling of the insideof` the mold is, however, provided for in a somewhat ydiiferent manner. The ccduits 26 are provided extending from the cap 5 and having horizontally7 extending mouths 115 27 above the cap, said mouthsnextending substantially 1n a radial direction for drawmg 1n the air, as in the first case.. This air is led lby the conduit 2G into thc lower;

bore of the spindle 1,20-

chamber of the hollow 1, the air issuing thence into the interior of the matrix through'oriices 2S adjacent to the.upper surface of ysupport 2 upon which the matrix is carried. y These openings 2S may be protected, if desired, by the conical 125 battle plate 29 formed about the. hollow spindle adjacent to the said openings. The

v air-having been admitted into the matrix spindle l and a lower portion. Record falls upon partition 25,

as in the first describedy form of that described in the through openings 2 8 proceeds upwardly throu the matrix dutside of the'hollow spind e, and is ejected through `conduits -30 formed in the cap 5 near the bore of the record 17, the said conduits 30 being provided With mouths 31 which are directed backwardly as. regards the direction of rotation of the matrix and substantially in a tangential plane or at right angles to the mouths 27 of the conduits 26, the air being expelled centrifugally from the mold by this means.

It is to be noted that the necessity for a cooling jacket of water is obviated by .the provisions of our invention, and thereby a veryconsiderable cause of defects in ccntrifugally molded records, as generally7 made prior to our invention, is eliminated, namely, the formation of bubbles beneath the surface of the record due to small drops of water used in cooling the record Hy into the record material during the moh` f operation. It is diiicult, in the methods of centrifugal molding, as previously practised, to prevent this Water .sometimes finding its way into the record material, and its preseucejcannot readily be detected until the possible freezing of the same during the transit of the records in cold weather or otherwise, these bubbles, when freezing', ruining the records. Also, the use of a. jacket of solid metal surrounding the mold forlcooling the saine is objectionable, at the very high speeds of rotation necess for vertical spinning, there is danger at such a jacketmay be burst by centri'ugailaction.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in our invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and. we therefore do not wish to limit or l. f' other than by the language of the apL claims. y

Having now described our invention, what we claim and desire toy protect Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In record molding apparatus, a hollow mold, means for sup )orting and rotating `the same, and means or moving a gas and causing the same to affect directly both the inside and the outside of the mold for hastening the diffusion of heat from the inside and outside of the mold and the molten ma.- teria therein during rotation, substantially as described.

2. In record molding apparatus, a hollow7 mold, means for supporting and rotating the same, and means for moving a gas past the mold during rotation for cooling the same, substantially as described.

3. In record molding apparatus, .a hollow mold, means for supporting and rotating the same, and .means for moving a gas past the mold and through the same T Ae.

duri-ng rotation for coolingt-he same, substantially as described.

4. In record molding apparat-us, a hollow mold, means for supporting and rotating the same, and means for forming a sleeve of air about. the moldv during rotation of the latter and causing the continuous longitudinal movement thereof, substantially as described.

5. In record molding apparatus,a 'hol-V low mold, means for supporting and rotating the same, and means forl drawing air upon said spindle to rotate the same, and

means for moving a gas past the mold during rotation thereof for 'cooling the same, substantially as described. v

7 In record molding apparatus, a hollow mold, a rotatable spindle to which said mold is secured, and means mounted Vupon said' spindle and rotating therewith for drawing air past said mold for cooling the same, subi stantially as described.

.8. In record molding apparatus, a hollow mold, a rotatable spindle to which said mold is secured, and an air-jacket surrounding said mold, means for moving air therethrough, and means for rotating said spindle, substantially as described.

9. In record molding apparatus, a hollow mold, a rotatable spindle to which said mold is secured, and means for drawingair into the interior of said mold during rotation, and centrifugal means for withdrawing said air from 'the mold, substantially as described.

10. In record molding apparatus, a hollow mold, a rotatable spindle to which said mold is secured, and a cap covering said inold, and means in said cap for drawing air therethrough into thc interior of said mold during rotation, substantially' as described.

' 11. In record molding apparatus, a hol-vv low mold, a rotatable spindle to which said mold secured, and a hollow cylinder surrounding said mold, and a centrifugal fan secured to said spindle and arranged. to draw air through said cylinder, substantially as described.

12. In record molding apparatus, a hollow mold, a rotatable support for. the salue upon which the mold is secured, and a vcap covering said mold,- sald'cap having conduits arranged therein for drawing air into the mold duringrotation, substantially as described.

13. In record molding apparatus, a hollow mold, a vertical rotatable spindle upon a Correction in Letters- Patent No. 1,041,948.

which said mold is mounted, said 'spindle -Itlold and having a passageway extending 'therethrough with radial openings there- Afrom into said mold for the introduction of the material to he molded, substantially as This specification signed and witnessed this 10th day of May, 1909. A JONAS W. AYLSWORTH. 'EDWARD L. AIKEN. Witnesses:

DrEnSMITH,l JOHN M. OANFIELD.

extending throughv the upper end of said described.

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

a Correction in Letters- Patent No. 1,041,948.

which said mold is mounted, said 'spindle -Itlold and having a passageway extending 'therethrough with radial openings there- Afrom into said mold for the introduction of the material to he molded, substantially as This specification signed and witnessed this 10th day of May, 1909. A JONAS W. AYLSWORTH. 'EDWARD L. AIKEN. Witnesses:

DrEnSMITH,l JOHN M. OANFIELD.

extending throughv the upper end of said described.

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

